Gas safety valve



F. E. SCHOOLFEELD GAS SAFETY VALVE Filed June l7, 1927 I N VEN TOR. 3???:1, C1? 6. u a

ATTORNEY.

Patented (Pet. 9, 1928.

FREDERICK E. SCHOOLFIELD, OF CQVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

GAS SAFETY VALVE.

Application filed June 17,

My invention relates to valves whereby a supply of gas or fluid underpressure is automatically cut off when pressure in the supply no longerexists. My invention is more particularly applicable to devicesutilizing combustible gases.

Heretofore, where the ordinary type of valves have been employed,serious accidents have been caused by the supply of gas being 1interrupted and thereby extinguishing the flame. l/Vhen the supply isrenewed the gas is not consumed and pervades the building in which thedevice is located, forming an explosive mixture with the air. Also, thismay cause asphyxiation of persons in the building, especially wherenatural gasis used, as it has practically no perceptible odor.

' The objects of my invention are to provide a -si-mple,eii"1cient anddurable means for automatically shutting off the flow of gas or fluidunder pressure when pressure is reduced belownormal, or no longerexists, thereby prop neck 16., the center of which is provided vidingsafety means to preventexplosion,

suffocation or asphyxiation, due to the tomporary stoppage of the flowof gas which extinguishes the flames, so that when pressure is resumed,the gas is prevented from escaping into the room'where it would causeprobable dangerous results.

My invention consists in means whereby the-above objects areaccomplished and in the construction, combination, location andarrangement of partsas herein set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofmy novel gas safety valve shown in theoperative position,.

= arts a )earin in vertical section dotted Q P:

lines, and in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section taken on a plane corresponding toline 22 in Fig. 1; r

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the expansible member used for operatingthe valve shown 4a) in expanded position and showing the base member bywhich it is supported;

Fig. 4: is an enlarged vertical section taken on a plane correspondingto line 4-41 in Fig. 3;; and

Fig. '5 is a detailed view of the gravity valve. f

In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated and which shows apreferred construct-iofn, I provide a gas safetyvalvecomprising cylindrcal body 1 which is divided into chamber 2 and lower chamber 3,-

1927. Serial No. 199,539.

Casket or'washer 13 is preferably inserted between closure cap 5 andlower end 1* of cylindrical body 1, for they purpose of insuring anair-tight jointure between said cap and body. Said closure cap 5 is alsoprovided with a drain plug 14, which may be easily removed therefrom byinserting a tool such as a screw-driver) within slot 15 and turning inan anti-clockwise direction.

Integrally formed with,and centrally dishole 17 and enlarged recess orsocket 18. Gasket or washer 1 9 is preferably insertedbetween saidclosure cap 6 and end 1 of cylindrical body 1 for the purpose ofinsuring an air tight jointure between said capand body. Said threadedneck 16 of closure cap .6 is

osed of, closure cap 6, is externally threaded with I received bythreaded opening 20 of cross 21. Said cross '21 is also provided withthreaded openings 22, 23 and 24, respectively.

Leading from T 25 (in inlet supply pipe 11) to cross 21 is byepass 26and leading from T27 (in outlet supply pipe 12) to cross 21 is by-pass-28. Said by-pass 26 comprises stopcock 26*,elbow 26?, nipple 26,union;26, and nipple 26, the outer threaded end of which is received bythreaded opening 22 of cross 21, as clearly shown by Fig.1. By-pass 28comprises nipple 28, stop-cock 28 nipple 28, elbow 28 nipple 28 union28, and nipple 28*, respectively, the outer threaded end of the latterbeing received by threaded opening 24 of cross 21. Externally threadedneck 29 of base 30 is received by threaded opening 23 of cross 21 and-isprovided with centrally dis-posedhole 31 through which valve rod 32passes. The upper end 32 of valverod '32'is securely attached toexpansible member 33 (such as a rubber balloon) by nut 34 screwed ontothreaded end 32 of said valve rod 32, as clearly shown in the sectionalview, Fig. 4;.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the portion 35 of valve '36'ispreferablydisc-shared, the outer periphery 37 .of'which alidably ts with ion ininner periphery 33 of upper chamber 2 of cylindrical body 1. The bottomof body portion 35 is preferably faced with a resilient material, suchas leather 39, to insure proper seating upon the upper side 10 ofintegral partition 1, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Partition 4;is provided with tapered opening 11 (through which the gas passes, aswill be described later) and into which cone 12, integral with valve 36is received, and which will also be described later.

Boss 13, centrally located. on the top 44: of valve 36, is provided withthreaded opening 4-5, which opening receives the lower threaded end 416of valve rod 32.

When valve 35 is in the raised or operative position (shown by fulllines in Fig. 1) and on account of the hole 17 in neck 16 being of alarger diameter than valve rod 32, I provide tapered plug or washer 17which is held against downward movement upon said valve rod 32 by collar48 and set-screw 19. Said washer 47 is adapted to fit within recessorsocket 18 of neck 16, thereby insuring against the gas passing fromwithin cross 21 into chamber 2, as will be described later on, underoperation of the device.

, When valve 35 is in the lower position within chamber 2, as indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 1, washer 50 is held against the top 51 of neck16 by coil spring 52, which spring is put under slight pressure againstwasher 50 by obstructions 52 preferably formed integral with valve rod32.

The opening or aperture of expansible member 33 snugly fits overupwardly extending neck 30 of base 30 and is secured thereon as by bandclamp 53.

To protect said eXpansible member 33, I provide glass cylinder 54: whichfits within upturned edge 30 of base 30 and which is held upon said baseby cap 55 and retaining rods (also shown by dotted lines) of a stove,furnace, or similar gas consuming device, and that the gas pressurecoming through said supply pipe A is normal and that stop-cock 26 isclosed, as shown in Fig. 1, said gas pressure will hold valve 36 in theopen position, as shown by full lines in said figure, and will flow inthe direction of arrows C through T 25, inlet supply pipe 11, intochamber 2 through tapered opening 41 in partition 4 into lower chamber 3into outlet supply pipe 12,

through T 2'? and into pipeB. Should thegas be turned off or the supplydecreased to such an extent as to extinguish the flame of said gasconsuming device attached to pipe B, valve 36 will automatically drop bygravity to the closed position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 therebyclosing the tapering opening 11 in partition 1 and bringing said valvebelow threaded opening 7 leading into upper chamber 2. Should the gasagain be turned on, or the pressure increased in inlet supply pipe 11,said gas will accumulate in upper chamber 2 but will beprevented frompassing through tapered opening 11 andinto outlet supply pipe 12 untilthe valve is again adjusted by manual operation as follows:

To reset this improved gas safety valve the first step is to closestop-cock 28 and open stop-cock 26s. After stop-cock 26 is opened thegas pressure will pass through by-pass 26 into the interior of cross 21and then upwardly through hole 31 in base 30, thereby inflatingexpansible member 33, which inflation raises valve rod 32 and valve 36upwardly from the dotted position shown iii-Fig. 1, to

the position shown by full lines in said'figure,

thus raising said valve above threaded opening 7 of cylindrical body 1.After said expansible member 33 has'been inflated sulficiently to raisesaid valve from the closed position to the open position, stop-cock 26is again closed and stop-cock 28 is again opened, thereby causing thegas pressure to be beneath said valve 36, and thereby holding said valvein the raised position whereupon the gas will flow in the path indicatedby arrows C.

An advantage of this invention is that improved gas safety valve isextremely simple, compact and of economical construction and is adaptedto effectually perform the desired functions.

A further advantage of my improved de vice is that it positively insuresthe automatic shutting off of the gas when the flow through the supplypipe A is interrupted sufliciently, so that the flame is extinguished onthe consuming device attached to pipe B, thereby avoiding any dangerousresults, which would occur should the consumed gas be allowed to escapewithout being ignited.

It will be understood that my invention is capable of modificationwithout departing from the scope or spirit thereof as defined in theclaims.

What I claim as .new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. 1n an automatic gas shut-ofi valve, the combination of a cylinderdivided into two chambers, an inlet supply pipe connected to one of saidchambers, an outlet supply pipe connected to the other of said chambers,a partition between said chambers having an opening therein, a four-wayfitting mounted upon said cylinder, aby-pass leading from said inletsupply pipe to said four-wayfitting, a second by-pass leading from saidoutlet supply pipe to said four Way fitting, an expansible memberlocated above said four-way fitting, a valve stem'attached to saidexpansible member, and a valve on said stem whereby said valve is heldin open position providing the gas flow or pressure is normal, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specilied.

2. In an automatic shut-01f valve, the combination of a body composed ofan upper chamber and a lower chamber, a partition dividing said chambersand having a hole therethrough, an inlet supply pipe connected to oneofsaid chambers, an-outlet supply pipe connected to the other of saidchambers, a four-Way fitting mountedupon said chambers, a by-passleading from said inlet supply pipe to said four-way fitting and havinga stop-cock therein, a second by-pass leading from said outlet supplypipe to said four-Way fitting, an cxpansible member located above saidtour-way fitting, a valve stem attached to said expansible member and avalve on said stem whereby said valve is held in opened positionproviding the gas flow or pressure is normal, substantially as set forthand for the purposes specifie d FREDERICK E. SCHOOLFIELD.

